Manchester City goalkeepers: The English club announced on Tuesday (2) the departure of Brazilian Ederson, 32, for Turkey’s Fenerbahçe, and then confirmed the arrival of Italian Gianluigi Donnarumma, 26, which was fundamental for the Champions League title of PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) last season.
With the change, coach Pep Guardiola seems to seek greater defensive solidity in a team that continues with the poor performance of last season and has lost two of the three Premier League matches.
The Catalan coach had also lost his confidence in Ederson, and James Trafford, also hired this summer, had played the first three matches of the championship.
According to several media outlets, the English club paid PSG for 35 million euros for the Italian goalkeeper, and would have received just less than half of that (14 million euros) by Ederson.
The Brazilian ends a successful trajectory at Manchester City with 18 titles won since his arrival in 2017, coming from Benfica, including a Champions (2023) and six Premier Leagues (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024).
“I am leaving Manchester City incredibly proud of what we won together and I am honored to have dressed this shirt so many times,” said Ederson, who has not yet been included in Carlo Ancelotti’s plans in the Brazilian team.
Its fate, Fenerbahçe, is going through a turbulent moment after eliminating the Champions League, which cost coach José Mourinho, and for not winning a title in Türkiye since 2014.
Donnarumma’s case at Paris Saint-Germain is similar: since he arrived at PSG from Milan in the summer of 2021, he has accumulated hits (a Championship title and four French Championship titles). Despite being a key piece in winning the European title, he was the victim of a technical decision and the fact that he was free to play for a season and has not yet accepted the club’s renewal offer.
Faced with Donnarumma’s possible departure as a free agent within a year, PSG protected himself by hiring 23 -year -old Frenchman Lucas Chevalier, elected the best goalkeeper of Ligue 1 last season with Lille, which implicitly led the Italian to be placed on the transfer list.
“‘Gigio’ is one of the best players in his position, no doubt. He is an even better person, but we looked for a different goalkeeper profile. My goal is to improve the team. It is a decision of mine, and the club supports me,” said PSG coach Luis Enrique, to justify “the difficult decision” to dismiss the Italian, who in turn expressed “disappointment and sadness.”
The question is like the 2021 Euro champion with Italy will adapt to Guardiola’s game style and English football.
Former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach brings back a world-class goalkeeper with an enviable history, but has been repeatedly criticized for his high passes and feet work, a key element in Luis Enrique’s system.
Premier League strikers are also often powerful in air play and Pep Guardiola appreciates the ability of their goalkeepers to run with the low ball, a quality that Ederson had.
